Hogwarts Snapshots
by Loads of Randomness
Summary: A series of unrelated one shots of what goes on at Hogwarts. Based off reddit user /u/Atojiso's Pint-sized Prompts - March 2017. Will expand chapters based on requests
1. Flickering

**#Flickering – A dim room. A singular, flickering light. Maniacal laughter comes from the shadows– 100 words | Rating: K | Genre: Humour**

Ginny Weasley woke up with a start. Shaking the fogginess from her mind she attempted to lift her arms. She couldn't. They were tied to the chair she was seated on.

Her shadow was flickering up the seemingly damp walls. Wait, flickering?

Ah, there was only one small candle. As if that would break her.

A spider scuttled across the room. She stomped on it.

The temperature dropped. She refused to shiver.

The shadows deepened, that got a whimper from her.

Then the laughter started,

"Okay, okay. I give!"

The laughter stopped.

"You are such a git, Harry James Potter."


	2. Towering

**#Towering – A character gets provoked; the result is a towering rage – 200 words | Rating: K | Genre: Family/Humour**

"Stop it, Fred!"

"I'm not Fred, I'm George!"

"Yeah, can't _anyone _get it right?"

"Ohhhh! I don't care! Just stop it, stop it, stop it!"

The diminutive red head stomped her foot as fierce as she could towards her older, twin brothers. She had been working _all _afternoon on an exploding snap card castle and those two just kept setting them off.

She had been so close that last time!

"Just ignore them, Ginny." Her other older brother (she had lots of them) Percy said from the corner of the room where he was reading a textbook (boring). "They'll get bored eventually."

Ginny scowled at him but sighed. He was right. And anyways, she had been close. One more attempt wouldn't hurt.

Twenty minutes later she just had to put the top of the tower on when Fred (or maybe George) blew on her castle! The whole thing collapsed and a few exploded.

Ginny saw red and shrieked loudly in rage.

All three of her brothers winced and clapped their hands over their ears.

'Pop! Pop!'

The twins disappeared!

"What did you do?" Percy asked suspiciously

A massive splash came from outside.

Ginny smirked.

"They just needed to cool down."


	3. Stalking

**#Stalking – Oh, don't mind the person outside your window, character. They're just mad about you! – 200 words | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

Click, FLASH

"Colin! This is the bathroom! Get _out_!"

Click, FLASH

Harry's eyes flew open. What was that?

His hands scrambled around his bedside table and grabbed his glasses just as they were about to fall off. When the world came into focus, he saw the sheepish smile of Colin Creevy.

"Colin, I was sleeping! Don't you sleep?"

Click, FLASH

"COLIN, Hermione is going to kill you if you disrupt our(her) studying, again."

Click, FLASH

Harry spat mashed potatoes across the table, narrowly missing Seamus. He glared at the cause as he wiped his mouth.

"I'm trying to eat. It might be a good idea if you did too." He said pointedly.

Click, FLASH

Colin's photos were just one set of dozens during the Quidditch match.

Harry sighed deeply as more photos were thrust into his hands.

"You do realise that there are other players, right?"

"Not as cool as _you _Harry," Colin said adoringly.

Click, FLASH

"Um, Harry?"

"Yes?"

"That creepy second year is just outside the window, taking photos of you."

"I _know._"

Harry plastered a smile on his face (Hermione said he had to be nice) and turned to wave at his stalker on the window ledge.


	4. Awry

**#Awry – Super Saturday Word Count – pay an escalation for each add on | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

**400 words – Everything has gone slightly wrong**

This. This was _not good_. Very much not good. Harry peered around the class nervously trying not to draw attention to himself. Which was difficult considering his cauldron was bubbling when it was meant to be emitting a blue smoke.

He took a deep breath and reread the instructions. He could fix this. He knew exactly where he had gone wrong. Too much spleen. He _knew _the one he added was just a touch too big. Another deep breath. Absolutely no need to panic. The potion was salvageable. Too big a spleen didn't cause explosions, thankfully. It just messed up the pH which meant you couldn't use the potion for its intended purpose.

Some of the bubbles popped. They emitted a rotting fish smell. Harry scrunched up his nose.

Hopefully it was salvageable.

He started to frantically flick through his textbook, vaguely remembering a warning about using too large a spleen for another potion. There had been a remedy for that if he remembered correctly. Now, just to find it.

Snape was sweeping up from the front, sneering down his long nose at the contents of people's cauldrons. Harry looked up nervously. He hadn't heard any scathing remarks yet. That was also not good. Really not good. That meant he was going to stand out and Harry Potter standing out in Snape's class was a _bad idea_.

The pages flicked faster. Words blurring together. Oh, why hadn't he marked it in some way?

He gave Ron a panicked look. His red-headed friend could only shrug helplessly and frown at his own disaster in the making. Harry noted that it was bright pink. Also, not good. Harry's pleading eyes now turned to Hermione. It took an agonising minute before she looked up.

It definitely wasn't a good thing when _Hermione's _eyes widened upon seeing his potion. Harry bit his lip and, as subtly as he could, held up his open textbook, finger tapping on the page number. Hermione's eyes narrowed briefly in thought before clearing.

"Fifteen," she mouthed.

Harry jokingly placed his hand over his heart in thanks, making Hermione roll her eyes at him and return to her own potion with a huff. Harry thumbed to the right page. _There _was the warning and just underneath it was the remedy. A sigh of relief escaped him. He immediately looked around him anxiously, had it been loud enough to attract attention?

**\+ 200 words – One of your characters needs to clean things up.**

Nope, Snape was too busy berating Seamus for the height of his flame. Phew, he still had time. His eyes scanned the short paragraph quickly and then he nodded. Right, the potion could be saved. All he needed was to add two tablespoons of Lethe Water.

Trying not to let his hands shake, Harry measured out the water and carefully added it to his potion. It would immediate sort it. There was nothing more to it.

Well, there wouldn't have been if the person didn't have Harrys special brand of 'luck'.

His elbow hit the open bottle of Lethe Water and knocked it into his cauldron. Almost immediately, the explosion happened. There was a blue flash and then it happened. It got to an impressive height. Somebody screeched. Probably Parvati. Or Pansy.

Harry took his glasses off and carefully wiped them before returning them to his face. He gasped at what he saw. It coated everything. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling. Most people had managed to shield themselves when the heard the familiar rumble, though most of them had assumed that it came from Neville so still got somewhat covered. Harry squirmed, it was sliding down his neck.

**\+ 200 words – The mood today is a touch manic, but we're not in a panic, just a bit frantic**

Snape was dangerously still, completely covered in potion. Every single person in the room froze in shock and fear. A massive gob of it dripped from his nose and landed with a loud 'splat' on the floor.

"Everybody. Out." He hissed through gritted teeth.

You didn't have to tell any of them twice. Barely pausing to pick up their books, the class sprinted out in a mini stampede.

"Except _you_, Potter," he growled dangerously.

Harry froze as Snape strode furiously over to him until he was looming overhead.

"You are going to clean _every inch _of this classroom, do you understand me, Potter?

Harry nodded frantically in response.

Snape gave him an extremely venomous glare before storming off, without the usual swirl of his cloak due to the weight of the potion covering it. It didn't make it any less unsettling. The door closed with a click, probably locking.

He jumped to his feet and quickly gathered the cleaning supplies that were always in the store cupboard. He was going to a least get this right. He was good at cleaning. Jumping right into scrubbing, his arms moved fast. Harry did _not _want to even look like he wasn't working.

**\+ 200 words – Unfortunately this may not be as easy as it seems. Or is it?**

The suds piled up around him as his arms moved furiously. He didn't want any of this to dry. It would be even more of a nightmare to get out than it already was. The potion was cooling quickly into a sticky mass that was hard to budge.

Harry stood up and looked critically at what he'd managed to do. Which wasn't very much. How was he even meant to fix the ceiling? He looked up and a big blob splattered on his face. Great.

A popping noise came from behind him. Still on edge, he swirled around – wand drawn – only to come face to face with large, round eyes.

"_Dobby?_"

"Yes, Mister Harry Potter, Sir, is Dobby."

"Why?" Harry asked irritably, he didn't need to deal with Dobby right now.

"I is hearing there is being big mess in Potions room. Dobby came to clean."

Harry gaped at the small creature.

"Seriously."

Dobby's head nodded rapidly.

"Yes, I is winning with straws so I is getting the room."

"Er, right," Harry replied, not really wanting to know. "Can you help me?"

"Mister Harry Potter Sir is not to be cleaning," Dobby said scathingly, pushing Harry back. "Is _Dobby's _prize."


	5. Delusion

**#Delusion – I swear it wasn't like this yesterday – 100 words | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

They were running. Both of them, though Fred would maintain that he ran faster. George disagreed.

Look, it was an _accident. _Really. It was meant to be a harmless prank, not even aimed at Filch. Not that that mattered when the caretaker got slimed by it…

Hence the running. Wood would be happy that they could run up four floors all the way up to the seventh floor. But they were out of breath now. They needed a hiding spot.

"In here!" Fred hissed on their third run down an empty corridor, yanking George into a door.

"Where did that-?"


	6. Ophelia

**#Ophelia – 200 words – A pretty, young character plagued by visions driving them mad, being adorable…and occasionally committing atrocious acts of violence | Rating: T | Genre: Humour/Friendship**

Luna hummed merrily, skipping down the corridors of Hogwarts in her usual fashion. Her long blonde hair swished back and forth and her feet were bare. A hairband with pom-poms topping two antennae bobbed with each step. She looked a bit more bedraggled than usual. More odd.

That wasn't why everyone was giving her a wide berth today.

"B-but, _why, _Luna?" Ron asked in a horrified tone, his quick pace keeping up with her.

Luna stopped, grey eyes widening, giving her the look of someone much younger.

"The nargles made me do it, Ronald," she stated in a hushed tone.

Ron took one look at the bloodied object in his young friend's hand and then at the wide-eyed innocent look she was still given him - he didn't think she'd blinked yet - and just shook his head. It wasn't worth questioning Luna most of the time. Only Harry seemed to make sense of her.

Still, he could be of use. She _was _one of his friends.

"Need a hand?" he asked cautiously, looking pointedly at what she was holding.

A drop of blood splashed to the floor. She looked down at it in a bemused fashion.

"I suppose so…"


	7. Miffed

**#Miffed – 100 words – Image Prompt ** . ** | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour/Friendship**

Hermione sniffed, turning her nose up at the two slightly singed boys in front of her. Honestly, how they got into these situations, she'd never know.

They turned their pleading looks up a notch, Harry's eyes were watering.

"You should have come to me in the first place," she lectured.

She was miffed that they didn't actually. She was an _expert _at this.

"We know," Harry answered rather pathetically.

The looks turned hopeful.

"Oh, give it here," she said finally, holding her hand out expectantly.

Harry and Ron perked up immediately, exchanging identical smiles. A bit disconcerting. She sighed again.


	8. Deeply

**#Deeply – 300 words – Character is truly, madly, deeply in love | Rating: K+ | Genre: Romance**

Her red hair was sprawled over the arm of the couch, bare feet resting on his lap. He resisted the urge to rub them – she was very ticklish and would almost definitely kick him in the face. He satisfied himself by just taking in his wife.

_His wife._

James couldn't get enough of saying that. His wife, his wife. Lily Evans was his wife! Wait, _Lily Potter _was his wife.

She was looking particularly stunning today. Her red hair was tousled from the housework they had done together earlier (much to the disgust of Blinky, their house-elf, but they really loved doing dishes together) and her eyes were narrowed to her cute nose in concentration at the story she was immersed in. The bare toes in his lap were painted sparkly gold, like tiny snitches. Yep, she was amazing and he was besotted.

"You're staring again," Lilly told him, not looking up from the book she was reading.

"Can't a man just look at his wife?"

"Not if he's going to be creepy about it."

James stuck his tongue out at her, which of course she didn't see. He pouted briefly but then grinned, sliding himself along the couch in a way that he ended up loosely embracing her.

"Jaaaames," she half-heartedly complained but didn't try to push him away, instead nestling into him.

Did he mention that they fit together perfectly? Because they did.

He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and adjusted them so she was lying against him. She looked up at him questioningly, eyebrow arched.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Just wanted to hold you," he admitted, blushing slightly.

That got him that warm, true smile that made his heart swell twice its size. He didn't know if he could love a person any more than this.


	9. Hired

**#Hired – 100 words – Today your character hires a new henchman! They seem..."nice". | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

"My Lord?" Lucius asked, horrified.

Usually Severus would be filing the man's expression away for future blackmail (it wasn't everyday a Malfoy allowed _emotion _slip through their sneering façade) but he was too busy being horrified himself.

Their Lord had brought someone new into their inner circle. Someone who would "finally terrify the masses".

Bella was still pouting over that announcement.

Lucius wasn't punished for questioning his "brilliance". He was _that _pleased with this _person_.

There was pink. Lots of pink. And _so many_ frills.

"Hi!" the person chirped cheerfully.

Severus blinked and rubbed his eyes. This couldn't be real.


	10. Irritable

**#Irritable – 100 words – A tiny thing. Simply miniscule. But it bothers your character. It bothers them so badly and they would do **_**anything **_**to stop it. | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

Hermione glared at the blank area in front of her. Eyes narrowing at something (or rather _somethings_) that weren't there. Harry patted her shoulder but she shrugged him away, not wanting to be soothed at the moment. He did the sensible thing a let her be.

She pulled at her hair in frustration, a primal sound escaping her lips that terrified the nearby third-years. _Why _didn't Wizards use logic? It just-it just wasn't logical? Not even a little bit.

"Why so-"

"-glum, Hermione?" came two identical voices.

Her left eye twitched.

Neither took the hint.


	11. Guilt

**#Guilt – Super Saturday word count – pay an escalation cost for each add on | Rating: T | Genre: Tragedy**

**400** **words**** \- Character has done something. Something awful. Something chilling. Something that makes them feel very, very guilty. Something that is slowly driving them mad.**

Severus stumbled through his floo and fell to his knees gasping, tears streaming down his face. He couldn't control himself as grief overcame him. It was his fault. _His_. Animalistic sounds came from the back of his throats, later it would be raw and painful and he'd deem it part of the punishment for what he had done. Though, nowhere near enough. Nothing would ever be enough to absolve this sin.

Why did he do it?

Why?

Pride? Glory? Rewards? Respect?

A choking noise was an attempt to sound scathing. Severus had received none of those, never would. Why he thought he would, he'd never know.

His sobs died away, not because he was all cried out. He would never shed enough tears over her. No, he just didn't have any energy left. The emotional whirlwind he had been on today had just ran out.

Shock. Disbelief. Uncomprehending. Anger. Fury. Disbelief. Pain. Sadness. Grief. So much inconsolable grief.

There was nothing left in him to give, so his sobs fell silent. The silence in this pokey little house of his stretched ominously, accusingly. There was just nothingness. There was no purpose. No promise. No future.

What was life without her in it? Sure, she would not have been his but she would have been here. Existing. Shining her light.

The silence, the nothingness stretched and stretched painfully out until wasn't. Until it snapped and everything came careening back at him.

She was dead. Lily Potter was dead.

He had done it.

He had made her body crumple brokenly on the ground.

What did that make him?

It shouldn't have been her. Should it have been him? Should it have been anyone?

No. It wasn't true.

Pain shot through him, breaking him. Shattering whatever was left of his cold blackened heart.

How could he go on?

Dumbledore. He was sworn to Dumbledore. He could fix this.

No, he couldn't. This wasn't something that could ever be fixed.

Repent then?

He didn't deserve to repent. He may as well have cast the spell. He _did _cast the spell. He had been the spark, the gunshot. The pebble.

Thoughts chased themselves around his head, tumbling over each other, fighting for dominance. It was hard to know where one started and the other began. Were they even real? Had he actually been there when the green light met her heart?

He just didn't know.

**\+ 200 words** **\- They constantly hear the sound of their crime ring in their ears. **

"_My Lord, I have the prophesy."_

Why had he eavesdropped. Did he not know that it was to end in almost certain death? He just hadn't cared.

All that mattered was that he had been chosen for this very important task. Over everyone else. Over Lucius. Over Bellatrix. Only he was the person the Dark Lord had deemed capable of this task.

Oh, foolish pride.

"_As the seventh months dies, My Lord."_

"_July then. Very good, Severus. You have done well."_

He had been so pleased with himself, he had done what he was supposed to do and the Dark Lord had been pleased with him. Something he yearned for. He had been completely blinded to the consequences. He had thought himself invincible. Untouchable.

Of course, he hadn't yet realised what the parroted words meant. What ripples it would cause. All that mattered that he had done as his Lord had wished. It wasn't until days later/

"_I know the exact boy it speaks of."_

"_Boy, Mr Lord?"_

"_Yes, a mere boy."_

Severus remembered the disbelief he had felt.

"_Harry Potter."_

And then the cold feeling. His heart had stopped. No.

"_Protect her."_

"_The Potters are dead. Lily is dead."_

**\+ 200 words** **\- Character needs to put up a ****good, cheerful front**** to remain above suspicion.**

Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. He had to regain control, put on his mask. In. Out. In. Out.

Dumbledore had failed. No, it was not Dumbledore who had sent her on a fast path to her death. It was him, Severus Snape. _He _had caused her death. All over a whisper of voices heard through a door.

In. Out. In. Out.

Control. It was about control. Putting up a front. No one could know what he did.

Severus shuddered at the thought of his actions being made public. He already had to face trial for being a "mere" Death-Eater and that was going to be destroying never mind it being released that he had all but sent the Potters to their deaths.

In. Out. In. Out.

His chin stopped wobbling as his lips straightened. Eyes glinted darkly; the tears that had been present suddenly gone in a blink. A frown darkened his face. This is what he had to be like from now on. Stern. Cold. Calculating. Detached. Just do his duty, whatever was required of him.

This way he would skirt the edges. Be dismissed. Not exist.

He would just be Severus Snape. No one else.

Nothing else.


	12. Reject

**#Reject – 100 words – "I reject your reality and substitute my own" | Rating: T | Genre: Humour/Friendship**

"That's not how it works."

"I don't care, I _want _it to do that."

The third year Slytherins sighed heavily at one Draco Malfoy, who sniffed at them.

Daphne glared at him.

"I swear I'll-"

Tracy hurriedly interrupted, "Play the game right, Draco."

Draco crossed his arms in a huff and poked his piece on the playing board.

"What's the point of a game that can't attack the other players?"

"This one," Blaise pointed out with an eyeroll.

"Pathetic. See _this _is why it's a muggle game," Draco ranted

Nott sniffed and moved his shoe.

"You're just sore you're losing."

**AN: Just to acknowledge my guest reviewer, I don't take prompts but if anyone want to see any of thse existing prompts extended, just say.**


	13. Un-right

**#Un-right – 100 words – Character is trying to do something that doesn't normally work in their world. They're absolutely convinced that it will work | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

"Seamus, you _can't _do that," Dean explained patiently.

"Of course, I can!" Seamus replied indignantly, waving his wand. "Oops."

Purple sparks flew out of the tip and singed the cuff of Dean's shirt.

"I'm kind of an expert on this," Seamus told him.

"You're _not_."

"Am so."

"Maybe someone else can pound sense into you," Dean muttered as he seized Seamus by the arm and dragged him over to the armchairs. "Hermione!"

The bushy-haired girl looked up from her Charms textbook.

"Yes?"

Dean shoved Seamus in front of her.

"Tell him that he can't add a beer to a portrait!"


	14. Montage

**#Montage – 300 words – Today your character is deep inside their own head, and, geez it's freaky in there. Show me the montage! | Rating: T | Genre: Angst/Humour**

Harry sighed heavily, fury still coursing through his veins. Today was just so stupid! What was the point of all this anger?

Maybe it would have been better if Voldemort had finished him off. He wouldn't have to deal with all of this year's nonsense. The Death Eater's would have probably thrown a party.

An image of the Death Eater's cheering under a banner, surrounded by balloons, filled his head. There were even streamers floating down from somewhere, some of them getting entangled with Lucius Malfoy's long locks. Voldemort was even wearing one of those stripey, pointy hats with Wormtail by his side blowing on a bright pink noisemaker. Nagini was swaying like one of those snake charmer snakes, obviously celebrating too.

There was a really bad photo of Harry pinned to the opposite wall with darts stuck almost randomly in it. Someone had managed to pierce over his scar. Did that mean someone had won?

Was that cake over on the table? It was! It had toxic green icing with red writing reading 'Congratulations on vanquishing your nemesis'. It was surrounded by open cards all with variations of 'Congratulations or 'Well Done' on them. There was even one from Neville!

Harry rubbed at his eyes and glared at the ceiling. Even by his standards, that was ridiculous. Shaking his head, he picked himself up from the floor (it had been deemed a better place to rage at the universe, why, he didn't know.) and sat on the edge of his bed.

He snorted. _Death Eater _parties. Yep, he was definitely losing his marbles. Maybe Seamus was onto something after all.

Stretching his stiff limbs, Harry stood up again feeling a lot more cheerful. He wondered where Ron was? He suddenly had the overwhelming desire to get beaten at chess.


	15. Ides

**#Ides – 100 words – They're after you. They're coming to kill you. You're sure of it! It's an evil plot to assassinate -Cesar- your character | Rating: T | Genre: Angst**

"Filthy half-breeds! Beasts! Uncontrolled animals!" she accused in loud shrieks, struggling hopelessly against their tightening grasp.

The disgusting creatures took no notice of her, didn't they _know _who she was? Fear suddenly gripped her as she noticed that the trees were getting closer together and they didn't seem to care about clearing a path. They were going _into _the forest, not out of it.

She glanced up at the grim face of the one by her left shoulder. He looked resolute.

Her struggles became more frantic. Who knew _what _these _things _would do to an upstanding employee of the Minister!


	16. Sunshine

**#Sunshine – 200 words – Everything is just. So. GREAT! Don't you agree?! | Rating: K | Genre: Humour/Family**

The house rocked with a minor explosion, an acrid smell drifting down the stairs.

"YES!" was the dual shout from the second floor

It sounded triumphant. That usually wasn't a good thing. Especially this summer with all the … creating going on.

Bill looked up at the ceiling then back down at his paper. Coming home was always interesting.

"Not it!" he said quickly.

His mother tutted and shook her head with a heavy sigh. Bill hid a smirk. There were two sets of footsteps on the stairs.

"Hello!"

"Mother, William,"

The twins swanned into the kitchen grinning identically. Great.s

"Isn't it a-"

"-marvellous day?" they chorused.

"The sun is shining-"

"-birds are chirping-"

"And it smells like death," Bill finished with folded arms.

They just grinned at him.

"What's a bit of death on such a wonderful day?" asked Fred.

"Especially when everything's right in the world?" added George.

He took note of the look of pride and triumph on their faces. It was unnerving.

Nope, he didn't have to deal with this anymore.

"I'll, uh, get that bread you need, mum," he said and quickly left the next explosion zone.

"Fred, George, what on earth did you do?!"


	17. Madlad

**#MadLad – 100 words – Your lads have run simply mad! Such crazy and out of control antics ay well spell the end of life as we know it! | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

Fireworks cartwheeled and leapt down the halls, exploding like cannonballs. Making people's ears ring and almost certainly deafening someone.

They were a thing of beauty and terror, those Weasley fireworks. Such craftmanship, such spellwork, such unrelenting terror as one caught fire just above your head.

Their "perfect Headmistress" ran shrieking down the hall, a firework close on her heels – teasingly close to her posterior.

The shrieks turned to a squeal as a 'BANG!' was heard. The smell of singed wool immediately permeated the area. Children whooped in triumph.

Perfect. This was the end of the beginning.

Umbridge was going _down_.


	18. Invasive

**#Invasive – Super Saturday Word Count – Pay an escalation cost for each add on | Rating: T | Genre: Horror**

**400 words – Slithering, seeping into your soul. Crawling, creeping out of control. Tricky thoughts seep into your brain, but it's okay, you're already insane.**

He wanted _more_. More of the thrill, more of the power. He shivered in delight, mouth twisting into a triumphant grin. Why did something so very, very wrong release such _euphoria? _Surely something so bad make him feel this way? Nothing else had managed it, so was it really so bad?

The images flashed across his eyes yet again as he brought his memories to the forefront of his mind.

The cruel sneer on his face turning to shock as the pointed wood was directed at him. Eyes widening in astonishment and then fear as dulled eyes met gleaming ones.

All it took was one word. Just one word and he could feel the power rushing through him, bending to his will. It filled his entire being and was expelled bluntly, then it was all over in no time at all. It was quite anticlimactic, the body slumping to the floor with a soft 'thump', wide eyes staring at everything yet nothing.

He found the whole process quite disappointing. How could he revel in his triumph when it happened so quickly? There was nothing satisfying about a gasp. He needed something that would get the adrenaline pumping through his veins, that would make it obvious why he came out on top.

He would succeed in this, making himself great and feared. He would be the one that brought death to people. He would hold that power of them. And what greater power would be to triumph over death itself?

The smooth chain trailed through his fingers, coming to a stop at the curve of the oval locket. The imprint of the raised design pressing into his skin.

Everything was falling into place. He knew he could do it now. Scoffing at the remembrance of the warnings he read. Killing wasn't _difficult_.It was remarkably easy, he felt nothing lying heavily on him. With plenty of ways to make it happen he wouldn't even get bored.

What could he do next? The opportunities were limitless. He could get creative, stretch his mind a little. The next time had to be better, more interesting, more _fun_. For him, anyway. Nothing so blunt as a simple curse this time, he needed something with more finesse. Something that would agonisingly draw the process out yet be untraceable.

No point in having his fun cut short by being thrown to the dementors, was it now?

**\+ 200 words – Go on, revel in your madness**

He couldn't believe that it had actually worked. Of course, he had read all the books that Slughorn's signature had provided him with. Memorised them, even, so that he didn't have to hold onto them. Not that anyone cared about what intelligent, capable Tom Riddle was reading. He was going to be great; you see.

But, still, reading wasn't quite the same thing as doing and books had the infuriating ability to leave key things out at the most inopportune times. Not this time. It had been almost exactly as described.

The locket fell free of his hand, spinning as it swung back and forth. Did it feel a little heaver now that something so precious was ensconced in it? A quick flick of the wrist and it was back in his hands, his eyes greedily taking in all of its little details. It was _his_, all his. _He _was the rightful owner; it was his birth right.

It seemed apt that this would be his true beginning. Using his true heritage to set himself on the path to greatness. A most fitting rebirth, shedding everything muggle and restoring what was once great. He would make it great once again.

**\+ 200 words – But, oopsies! It's a bit infectious today!**

A slim, pale hand rested lightly on his forearm. He jerked out of his thoughts only to see a familiar face.

"Bellatrix," he breathed, tracing the outline of her face in the air.

Dark red lips stretched into an adoring smile. He liked that. The adoration, the slavishness. He had quite forgotten where he was, that he had been hosting a _meal _of sorts.

"I will follow you _anywhere_," she declared breathily, pleasing him greatly.

"You will, won't you?" his voice was thick, oozing. "And doing anything as well."

"Of course, anything that you require."

Such power he held over her, so seductive and addictive to wield. So easily, too. He knew that she felt it as well. She was the perfect example of how people could better themselves by seeking power, after all. It had made her stronger and far more dangerous. Just what he needed.

"Perfect. You will aid me greatly."

"And bring destruction to those who don't?" she asked eagerly, face flushing in her excitement.

"Of course."

Bellatrix Lestrange looked into his eyes for approval before laughing long and loud in glee, her cackle echoed by Tom Riddle's low chuckling.

He was going to rule the world.


	19. Rant

**#Rant – 100 words – A dialogue only raging, rambling rant against someone or something. | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

**A sort-of sequel to Chapter 10.**

"I mean, things can't just vanish into thin air! Their particles can't just disappear! There is no way on this earth that you can just wave a _stick _t something and then have it not exist. That's not how the world works!"

"What's a particle?"

"What everything is _made _out of, honestly, there should be a science class in here...And you can't just make them disappear!"

"You said that."

"Aarghh, keep up, Ronald. A vanishing spell can't make something vanish."

"But it _does_."

"How? Tell me that? Where does it go?"

"Magic, duh."

"_That's not an answer!"_

"It _is_!"

"Aarghhh!"


	20. Sharing

**#Sharing – 200 words – Your character is fervently enthusiastic about something and **_**must share **_**this with everyone. | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

"Can you believe it, Hermione? All of daddy's hard work and research paid off!"

Luna looked up at the busy-haired girl with wide grey eyes. She was practically vibrating in excitement, a newspaper clutched in her hands. Hermione, on the other hand, looked disgruntled and disbelieving.

"But, they're not real," Hermione stuttered, shaking her head at the photograph and 'The Daily Prophet' headline.

"I know!" Luna said excitedly, now bouncing up and down. "Daddy finally got people to listen about the Crumple-Horned Snorkak!"

"He found proof," Hermione automatically corrected.

"Isn't it fantastic?"

Luna's arms wrapped around her ribs in an enthusiastic hug. It rivalled Mrs Weasley's.

"It's, er, great, Luna," Hermione replied, patting her awkwardly on the back. Then saw her chance to escape. "Have you told everyone yet?"

The grey eyes got wider, Hermione hadn't thought that was possible.

"No, I really should. Shouldn't I? I want _everyone _to see it. Even if it _is _'The Prophet'."

"I would, if I were you."

Luna beamed at her.

"I haven't even told Harry yet," she confided. "I'm going to do that now," she turned her head quickly to the doors, "Oh, there's Dean! Dean! Dean! Have you seen Daddy's photo?"


	21. Slide

**#Slide – 100 words – Image Prompt - https: (double slash) (slash) McTPm3P. | Rating: K+ | Genre: Friendship**

The rain was coming down in sheets, individual raindrops undiscernible. It soaked everything it fell on in a matter of seconds.

Harry shivered, feeling damp and miserable as his numb fingers struggled to take out the tent. He heard a chuckle from behind him.

"You look like a drowned rat!" his best friend wheezed out; red hair plastered against his head.

"You're not much better!"

Harry jokingly lunged at Ron, only to fall into him as he slid on the wet ground. Great.

"Would someone please get our shelter up so we don't become more water than human!" Hermione demanded.


	22. Guideline

**#Guideline – 300 words – Someone attempts to repeal a natural law. Like gravity for example. | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

"I knew I should never have told them about this," Hermione said with a sigh, taking a break from looking at the ceiling to shake her head.

"It's a good idea," Harry pointed out.

"Thank you," came the combined, echoey voices of Fred and George.

"An idea that already exists," Hermione retorted, folding her arms and looking completely unamused.

Harry raised an eyebrow at his bushy-haired friend. "And have loads of witches and wizards descend onto the Muggle World?"

Hermione winced almost immediately at the thought. Yeah, it was definitely not a good idea. Why did she even _mention _"anti-gravity" tunnels to the Weasley twins of all people?

"Exactly," Harry said to her unspoken response, nodding smugly.

Hermione sighed. "It would be a disaster."

"Hey, we resemble that," voices came from above them.

Harry and Hermione returned their attention to the extremely high ceilings of the Hogwarts corridor. The aforementioned twins were stuck there. By what, Hermione still wasn't entirely sure but they were. And had no idea how to get down.

"All good experiments have numerous failures," George said loftily, quite literally in his case.

"This is better than normal," Fred added.

"Our failures-" George began to explain.

"-tend to end-

"- in explosions," they finished in unison.

"Because being stuck to the ceiling is so much better?" Hermione said in a scathing tone.

"Yes," Fred said emphatically. "No one is singed."

"Except your pride," Harry said.

"Details," the older twin waved off.

"Now, um, can someone figure out how to get us down?" George asked sheepishly.

"Quickly," Fred informed them. "I need to pee."

Harry laughed out loud at that as he lifted his bag off the floor. "I don't think anyone wants yellow rain," he joked.

"Harry!" Hermione scolded, shooting a disgusted look up at the ceiling.


	23. Change

**#Change – 100 words – One day character walks outside to find http (colon double slash) .com (slash) . | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour/Friendship**

Where on earth was he? Was he even on Earth? It wasn't like anywhere he'd seen before. Even in books. The sky was dark, yet somehow there was light glinting off the glass of the tilted building. Why was it tilting?

He stumbled over something that pierced his leg. Drawing the leg back, kicking at the rocks, he noticed that he was bleeding. Bleeding green blood? The clouds swirled around him dizzyingly.

Harry regained consciousness, the whole world hazy, and shook his head. That just made said world spin.

"Urgh."

He was never going to let Luna burn "incense" again.


	24. Shop

**#Shop – 100 words – The local item shop has run out of an item character desperately needs! Write an angry letter to management. | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

How dare they? How seriously dare they?

How could they even run out? They should know how _important _it was. His quill scrawled across the parchment; the writing still neat but appropriately stiff (he was not a _Neanderthal _after all).

"How dare they," he repeated out loud.

"Is he okay?" Theodore asked in almost a bored tone.

"They ran out," Pansy said solemnly.

"Oh no," came the extremely sarcastic reply.

Draco did not appreciate his tone and made sure his glare conveyed that. Theodore appeared unconcerned. With a sniff, Draco returned to his writing.

They really _must_ take this seriously.


	25. Scream

**#Scream – Super Saturday Word Count – pay an escalation cost for each add-on | Rating: K+ | Genre: Friendship**

**400 words – To bed, to sleep, perchance to dream, perchance to scream**

Harry was screaming, or at least he was _trying _to. Nothing was coming out. His mouth was open – wide open in fact – but not sound came out. And he wanted it to come out, this whole thing was terrifying. He didn't know _why _it was terrifying but he knew it was terrifying. And something this terrifying required him to scream. It wasn't like he could do anything else; he was glued to the floor with no apparent way to break free. Hence the soundless screaming. Maybe whoever had done this to him had also put a silencing charm on him. But why?

He tried to tug his leg free but had no luck. Why would someone want to do something like this to him? It wasn't Voldemort's style – he'd be dead by now – so who was it? Nothing in his surrounding gave him any clues to who it might be. The stone walls were bare with only the dimmest of candles lighting them, producing little more than a flicker, the floors were of rough wood and the ceiling _dripped _for some inexplicable reason though no water made it to the floor.

But none of that had anything on this feeling that crawled up his spine and settled into his bones. It made his guts twist together and his hair stand on end. He didn't know how to cope with any of these feelings except by screaming. So, he screamed. But, as he mentioned before, nothing came out.

He needed to get away from here. Far away from here. Needed to get help. Was there no one else here? No one to save him? If only someone could hear his screams, get some idea that he was here and very much alive. For the time being anyway. Who knew how much time he had left, if he had any at all? It didn't matter anyway; his screams weren't coming out. There was no way to make himself known.

Harry steeled himself. It was up to him to get himself out of this mess. He had to do something; he couldn't just wait here – doing nothing. Not that he exactly had a choice in the matter. He looked down at his feet, which were still stubbornly stuck to the floor. This was something had to figure out first. All the planning in the world wouldn't do any good if he couldn't move.

**+200 words – You try to run, but something's wrong. Or maybe it wasn't right all along.**

Without warning, whatever was holding him to the floor gave way. Harry caught himself before he fell, only stumbling slightly. He didn't even take a breath before taking off, just wanting to get as far away from that spot as physically possible.

Or, until he got to a corner anyway. Harry James Potter might be a lot of things but stupid wasn't one of them (no matter what Snape said). He knew better than to go careening around a corner when you had no idea what might be around it. So, he pressed himself up against the wall and waited.

Waited to see if something, anything, would happen. People to jump out, a spell cast around it, a heavy item dropping from the sky. _Something_.

He got something. He inhaled sharply as he heard it. The whispers. He couldn't make out what they were saying but it couldn't be good. Not with this rather dark sense of foreboding all around him.

He edged closer to the corner. The voices got louder. Still unintelligible however. Maybe a bit closer.

Then they stopped.

That was definitely not good but he couldn't stop himself, he turned around the corner. He held his breath.

**+200 words- The chittering from the shadows grows louder, the fingers reach, they claw, you flounder.**

He could hear more of them but he still couldn't see them. Hell, he still had no clue what 'they' even were. Demons? Monsters? Ghouls? Maybe he didn't want to know. All Harry knew that he wanted to get far, far away from them. So, he ran. He ran like he was being 'Harry Hunted' like the old days.

Feet pounding against the floor, his breath came out in gasps. He kicked at the grabbing fingers reaching for him from the inexplicable shadows lining the place. They were relentless – refusing to leave him alone. Jumping and zig-zagging, he managed to avoid them all. He just had to stay ahead of them, keep on running. There had to be an end to this… whatever this was. It couldn't go on forever

His feet skidded on the floor when suddenly something grabbed him from behind in a tight grasp, twisting the material of his t-shirt. He tried to struggle free but the grip only got tighter. It started to pull him backwards, the initial jerk enough to make him lose his footing. He was dragged closer and closer to it, he could feel it's damp breath on the back of his neck…

**+200 words- A glow of light at last! A brief respite? You gasp…**

"Wha?" he was jolted awake by some very vigorous shaking. The world around him was blurry but he would know that bright orange splotch anywhere. "Ron?"

At least that came out a bit more coherent. Harry blinked rapidly as the lights above him made their presence known when Ron moved from directly above him. Why were they so bright? His hand scrabbled along his bedside table, trying to feel out his glasses - why were they never in an easy to reach spot?

His glasses were shoved onto his face clumsily, the arm catching on his ears. Harry winced and adjusted them as he sat himself upright, everything finally coming into focus.

"You alright?"

"Ron?"

It was definitely Ron, right? Not some sort of strange apparition sent to torture him?

"Yeah, mate?"

Ron's face reappeared above him. This time Harry could see every single freckle. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was Ron. He was awake.

"Harry?"

Harry waved him away. "I'm fine."

And he was. It was just a nightmare. A run of the mill nightmare that, for once, was in no way caused by Voldemort. Just a stupid dream. It wasn't real. He didn't need to run.


	26. Didn't

**#Didn't – 100 words – Oh no they didn't! | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

Ginny felt her eyes widen, so much so that she was sure that they were going to pop out of her head. Shock and disbelief flickered through her in quick succession before she settled on anger. No. Make that _fury_.

Two identical gulps came from the culprits in front of her. Her eyes narrowed and, if possible, their faces got paler.

"Now, Ginny- "

"-let's not- "

"- get too hasty."

Calming her down didn't exactly work if the people who were trying to do so stuttered.

"I'll give you ten seconds."

Looks of horror were exchanged.

"_Ten_."

They bolted.


	27. Therapy

**#Therapy – 200 words – When you're this crazy sometimes you just need to talk it out. What could go wrong? | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

Harry _knew _this was a bad idea. He had _told _Hermione. Hadn't she learned to trust his instincts by now? Obviously not, or else he wouldn't be sitting in a _Muggle Therapist's Office_. Apparently, this was better than the Wizarding option.

"Let me get this straight, Mr Potter," his therapist, Dr John Whitaker, began.

"Harry," Harry interjected helpfully.

"Harry," the man repeated with a nod as he peered at his notes (which Harry had noticed that he hadn't really written much in). "Let me get this straight. A gang leader went after your parents because of some sort of a grudge-"

"They were a part of the task force to get rid of them."

"-they were killed, leaving you an orphan, but this grudge carried over to you?"

"Yep."

"So they-"

"Just the leader really. Mad man he was."

"_He _tried multiple times to kill you as you grew up in multiple proxy ways before you two eventually ended up in a firefight and you killed him. When you were _seventeen."_

"That about sums it up," Harry agreed. Best summary he'd heard.

The therapist stared blankly at him before nodding slowly and leaning forwards.

"Would you like to explain further?"


	28. Book

**#Book – 100 words – Hey, this book loos great! I'mma read it | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

Fred saw it out of the corner of his eye. He knew that it was wrong to pry, especially since it was _Hermione's _bag but he couldn't help it. It was one of the thickest books he'd ever seen. And it wasn't even a textbook!

Nope, he pulled it out of her bag, it was something called 'Lord of the Rings'. Was it about another 'Dark Lord'? Research? He flipped it around to read the summary. His eyebrows shot up and he looked around him carefully before shrinking it and hiding it in his robes.

He needed to read this.


	29. QQ

**#QQ – 100 words – Your hero makes someone rage quit | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

Black robes swirled erratically.

"That's it. I'm done!"

"Now, Severus…"

"No, Albus. I refuse to do it anymore."

Albus Dumbledore, Greatest Wizard of All Time, took a risk and patted an agitated Severus Snape on the shoulder. After all, he had been a Gryffindor.

"You aren't thinking logically, my dear boy."

Severus shrugged off the offending hand and glared at the Headmaster, pointing a finger at him.

"No, _you _aren't thinking logically. _Nothing _about this is logical."

"Come, now-"

"No. You can't make me!" He even threw in a foot stomp to complete the toddler look. "Potter's finally done it!"


	30. Drama

**#Drama – 200 words – Urgh! This is the absolute worst thing possible to happen. EVER! | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

Hannah, Susan, Justin and Smith (he was always Smith) watched Ernie pace up and down, one wary eye on him and another on a possible escape route in case things got too heated. Which yes, had happened before. Far too many times.

"This! _This _just proves me right! He's _all _for the attention!" Ernie declared, shaking a newspaper about. "But this time he's gone too far. Struck below the belt. I mean-"

Justin hesitantly plucked the newspaper from Ernie's clenched fist and smoothed it out so he could read it.

"I'm pretty sure this isn't the kind of attention _anyone _wants. Let alone Harry," Justin told his friend after perusing the front page.

"Any attention is good attention."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake!" Susan exclaimed, raising her arms in exasperation.

"Hold on, Bones, I think Ernie is on to something," Smith told her.

"Of course, you do," she muttered but was ignored.

"This is Potter, we're talking about," he continued. "An attention hound. Everyone knows it."

"Exactly!" Ernie said in triumph.

"But it says he's gone bonkers!" Justin protested. "There's no good way to spin that!"

"That's what he _wants _you to think," Ernie replied smugly.

"Oh, brother," Susan muttered despairingly.


	31. Self-proclaimed

**#Self-proclaimed – 300 words – The delusions have finally set in now. Character is absolutely, without a doubt, the all-powerful… God of the universe! | Rating: K+ | Genre: Humour**

"All bow before him!"

"Yes, make way, make way!"

"Get away, Creevey! Didn't you hear?"

"Heir of Slytherin!"

"Coming through!"

Fred and George swept students away as they led Harry in a merry dance throughout Hogwarts, deliberately taking him the longest way back to the tower to cause maximum chaos. They did get there, eventually, with much eye-rolling and some laughter from the student body.

Now he stood in front of them as they eyed him up.

"We need to get you a cape."

Going against her own thoughts, Hermione had to correct them. "Rulers wear _robes. _Not capes."

"A robe then," George said, nodding.

"Yes, much better," Fred agreed. "Fur lined."

"Of course."

"And a crown, can't forget a crown."

"The true piece de resistance."

Hermione didn't even bother hiding her wince at the horrible imitation of a French accent. The twins noted something don on a piece of parchment. There was a stick figure on it, with arrows pointing everywhere.

"It needs to be big."

"And heavy."

"Are jewels too much?"

"They're never too much."

"True, true, but we have to have a _balance_."

"What about we add a sceptre?"

"Forge, my man, you might just have it!".

"Guys?" Harry interrupted, only to have two identical pairs of eyes to snap to him and stare. It was a bit disconcerting as they weren't really blinking. "You do know I'm not _really _the Heir of Slytherin, don't you?"

Fred and George looked at each and then both burst out laughing. Harry felt himself relax.

"Of course not, Harry," George said reassuringly, patting him on the shoulder.

"You're thinking too small," Fred agreed.

"You're not _just _the Heir of Slytherin."

"Oh no."

"You're the-"

"-Hogwarts Heir!" they finished in tandem.

Harry just buried his head into his hands and groaned.


End file.
